Social Gossip From Home.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5970, 24 October 1890, Page 2

Social Gossip From Home.

Tho London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writes from On the Thames as follows on August 29 : — I have been discussing, the future of the musical profession with a lady, who, now that Madame Patey is in Australia, is perhaps the first oratorio contralto in the kingdom. "We oratorio artistes," said the lady, "thought we were going to haveit all our own way The millennium seemed to have dawned on us three years ago. Opera we thought was dead, and thepatronage of all musical connoisseurs would in future be given to oratorio and cantata. Whatever apparent confirmation there was of this beliof arose from the fact that those of the publio who still loved musio shared our belief that opera was really dead, and in their dumb despair turned to us for amusement. But we were reckoning without Lady de Grey. For some reason which no man can divine, although perhaps some woman might, it pleased her ladyship to intervene in the politics of the musical profession, and decree the resurrection -<__ grand opera. The London public rusbe-d in greedily to second hor activity. '.'heir apparent relish for oratorio had been but a case of Hobson's choice. In supposing we did, that they really cared <_or great works, based upon Christian or Thei'stio tradition, we ignored the decay of religious sentiment in London. lam sorry for it for although a Homo Ruler, I believi. in religion (sic). But it is so. And from the day that Lady de Grey succeeded in inspmngoperatic ambition into Gus Harris we oratorio artistes have been banished for a living in the provinces.There the nl-rgy are our great supporters—our ' advance agents ' as it were. Although religion and the church are locally dead in London, the clergy have still immense social and moral influences in the provinces. The provincials have need of them. They joiu in leading the innocent, recreations of their people. If the olorgy wero to lose their influence, or turn againstmusic, half of us would have to sweep crossings. We still live _ v London just as we might live at Rugby Junction or Burton on Trent—if there wet'e good accommodation. London is a good railway centre ; but in London there is >._ o fc a crust of bread to earned for anyone, outside the charmed circlo of opera, as created by Lady do Grey and her faithful servant Augustus Harris. All the serious concerts havo failed, exeopt those of Rieh.er (which are specially sustained by German natriutisra). the Albert-half Orchestra. Society (which is beholden to voluntary amateur effort), and the Philharmonic under Fred Cowen (which possibly justpays its way.) And these ventures achieved disaster, notwithstanding the fact that in the interests of high art one was expected, to sing there for nothing. At private parties the hostess always expects you to sing for nothing—or iv exchange for being called by your Christian name, and taken ia to supper by her eher ami. If hostesses' have any money to spare they will be content with nothing lens than operatic stars Melba at £i;>7 10s, or Jaen de Rezski afc £105, or more."

" Why," I broke in, "don't you go to Australia f I could," I added iv a childlike way, " puff you like mad in the Australian press."

"Oh," she replied, "nobody goes to Australia till they can't sing a note I'll go to Australia when I weigh thirteen atono and havo eduoated fourteen children." " Then," I rejoined, " do you like goinground singing sacred music in manufacturing towns and draughty cathedrals?" v." ¥ 0 ' _• don V' said she. " I spend my hfo for the most part in the raoflt" hideoussurroundings and on the most tedioas of railway journeys. We artistes go to great towns that you others don't know the namesof. We know more of the cross-oountry communications of the kingdom than anyother human beings. If ever there is an invasion wo should be drafted into the Intelligence Department to show how to get the volunteers to the coast. The cathedral towns are a relief; but somo of one's experiences are trying, or at all eventbizarre.'

" And is there no way of escape for you t" I enquired dreamily, half determining to offer her marriage ou the spot. " Oh yes," she replied ; » I'm going to bow the knee—to abandon oratorio foe opera."

" Why did not you do it before ?" "Well, you see. being a contralto, I shall often havo to play boys' parts—at first nearly always ; aud, unfortunately, I'm so like a boy. If you bhw me so dressed you'd never say ' that's a girl dressed as a boy ' you d just say ' there's a boy singing contralto.' Nobody knows Im like a boy, becauso I get all my clothes ready made off' Paris model blocks—they neither fit me nor misfit me. But thoy convey the impression, that I havo a figure, which I haven't."

" And," I enquired, " wheu you join theoperatic world, do you expect to find theinfluence of Lady de Grey still paramount ?"

" Yes; she has a good deal to say to the working of it even now. She rules the artistes with a rod of iron. They are all expected to hang about her parties, if they be. on.. to_ 'Gas Harris's company. Miss MTntyre-one of the prime donne, who is a jreneral's daughtor— _rave herself airs about it last season, and suffered heavily f or Gt independence. When Lady do Grey in vited her to her house, she said that if she was wanted as a paid artiste sh ►. would of course, go there, and go alone ; but if 'shewas asked us a lady and a friond, sho could not accept until Lady de Grey had left a card on her mother. Her ladyship admired, and was amused at, tho girl's pride and independence ; but never since Oliver Twist asked for ' more ' was there such a commotion in ono of our publio institutions as there was at tho Opera-house, when it was imown how Miss MTntyre had received the advances of tho Counters, •Throughout the remainder of the season the bravo girl was thoroughly uncomfortable never getting the parts she wanted, andbeing in other ways made to end uro the penalties of social rebellion. Her conduct is generally condemned in the profession. It is impossible tor an artiste thus to cut herself in two. The reason why a private young lady ought not to go to any house, where hor parents do not know the host and hostess fails in tho case of an artist Iho private young lady's sole metier in life is to got married, and her parents p 0 bail to all pretenders _c X her hand th_t J B l_e ia absolutely spotless, aud this they can alone honestly do mhey keep a Wta.it watch over her movements. But wo artistes cannot maintain ourselves under theso conditions of parental Surveillance. We are obliged to guarantee our own spotlessness, tor no one can know for certain how good we are but ourselves. Our own names aro tho only -~nes on our bills in the matrimonial maricet. I shan't make any fuss about going to Lady do Grey's parties if she ask*, me, but. i consider I'm quito as good a girl as Miss M-Intyre any day." And so on-all of which must bo accepted as the only possible " social gossip " of this week—seeing that, there is nought else to record, savo tbe endless lamentations coming up from all quarters of Europe that the dreadful ceaseless rain and cold is spoiling everybody's* holiday.